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Human Papillomavirus - HPV

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted viral infection. Screening options for the prevention and early detection of cervical cancer depend on age of individual and include cytology, cotesting, and primary high-risk HPV (hrHPV) testing.

Tabs Content

Clinical Overview

Key Points

HPV Testing in Women

Current Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines

Women 30 to 65 years should continue to be screened with cervical cytology alone every 3 years, or hrHPV testing alone every 5 years, or hrHPV in combination with cervical cytology testing every 5 years

Recent guidance from the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO)/ASCCP (2015), motivated by FDA’s approval of an hrHPV test as a primary test performed for cervical cancer screening, suggests that primary hrHPV testing can be considered for women starting at age 25

Human Papillomavirus (HPV), High Risk by Transcription-Mediated Amplification (TMA) with Reflex to HPV Genotypes 16 and 18/45 by TMA, ThinPrep

FDA-approved test for routine cervical cancer screening in combination with cervical cytology (Pap smear) in women ≥30 yrs; genotyping performed for triaging women to colposcopy who are cytology-negative (NILM) and HPV-positive

Reflex pattern – if HPV, high risk is positive, then HPV genotypes 16, 18/45 will be added

Reflex pattern – if SurePath liquid-based Pap test is interpreted as satisfactory, then HPV, high risk by PCR (SurePath) will be added; unsatisfactory SurePath liquid-based Pap test specimens will not be tested for HPV

Reflex pattern – if the SurePath liquid-based Pap test is interpreted as satisfactory, then HPV high risk by PCR (SurePath) will be added; unsatisfactory SurePath liquid-based Pap test specimens will not be tested for HPV